good friday morning. coming up on "early today," tragedy averted. authorities uncover a minnesota teen's elaborate plot for a columbine style massacre. critical moments. a new report reveals how much time was lost before anyone realized malaysian airlines flight 370 was missing. swallowed up. a blolock of one city gets swallowed up whole. what may have caused it. plus, preparings under way for the most exciting two minutes in sports. a baseball rain delay, shall we call it. not one you might think of. it is friday, may 2nd. "early today" starts right now. good morning.

i'm richard lui. we start with a 17-year-old who admired the columbine killings and had a plot to carry out something similar. but thanks to a phone call, he's in custody this morning facing ten attempted murder and explosive counts. here is pete williams. >> reporter: the police chief in minnesota, 80 miles south of minneapolis, says an unimaginable tragedy has been prevented by the accidental discovery of this plot. a 17-year-old student, john david ladew has been charged with attempted murder. police say he planned to shoot his sister and his parents, then set off bombs in the junior high and high school. they say he planned to shoot down students as they ran outside. police say he told them he wanted to emulate the 1999 attack on columbine high school in colorado. police say they found completed functioning bombs, some of them small, at his house, kept under his bed. they say he also had several guns and hundreds of rounds of

ammunition. the plot was uncovered tuesday night after someone saw ladew enter a storage unit and close the door. that person became suspicious and called police. authorities say he's been talking to them since he was arrested. and that he told them he intended to kill as many students as he could, then assume he would be shot by the responding police. >> nbc's pete williams reporting. police have not revealed any motive for that plot. now to a malaysian official who is saying today that the search for flight 370 could take another year. but the missing plane will be found sooner or later. next steps will be decided at meetings next week. this is based on the malaysian government's new preliminary report released thursday. tom costello has more on that. malaysia 370, thank you. >> for the first time we're hearing the voice from a cockpit as flight 370 communicated with malaysian controllers.

>> reporter: family members have also heard the recordings. we don't know if it is the captain or the first officer, but all of the conversations appear routine. the last transmission of 119 a.m. is believed to be from captain shah. >> malaysian 370. >> malaysian 370. >> malaysian 370, contact ho chi minh 120.99, good night. >> good night. >> at 1:21 a.m., the plane disappeared from radar. but not until 1:38 a.m. did vietnamese controllers tell malaysia the plane was missing. then another four hours before the malaysian search and rescue center was activated. far too long, say safety experts, who insist searchers would have been launched far sooner in the u.s. >> i think when you dissect that four-hour delay, that could be the difference of finding this airplane and not finding this airplane. >> reporter: it took another three hours before the malaysian

military reported it had tracked the plane making a u-turn. search coordinators believe by then it may have been in the southern indian ocean. family members want answers. >> why is that? who is responsible for it? who makes the decision. >> reporter: also, malaysia released the cargo manifest for flight 370. along with the luggage the plane was carrying, 10,000 pounds of fruit and 5400 pounds of consolidated freight, which included lithium ion batteries. the documents note a flammability hazard exists if a package is damaged, but the shipment was in compliance. eight weeks late,ship te search haven't spotted a single piece of wreckage. >> tom kos pell costello reports there. the white house wants legislation enhancing privacy protections for americans. it says, quote, as more data is collected, analyzed and stored on both public and private systems, we must be vigilant in

ensuring that balance is maintained between government and citizens. and revise our laws acordingly. the report recommends measures to prevent discrimination based on the data trail left by consumers. it would protect students' data from being shared, and set a national standard for telling consumers their data has been compromised. the president of the los angeles chapter of the naacp leon jenkins has resigned, this following outrage over a decision to give l.a. clippers owner donald sterling an award for promoting civil rights. that idea was scrapped once the now infamous recordings of sterling surfaced last weekend. meanwhile, the new york post reports sterling is battling cancer. nbc news has not independently confirmed that. yesterday, nba owners met to discuss the process of ending sterling's ownership of the l.a. clippers saying they will, quote, move forward as expeditiously as possible. a lawyer for sterling's alleged girlfriend v. stiviano says one

of her friends leaked the recording to tmz. an investigation is under way into the cause of a massive street collapse in baltimore. that department of transportation there is working to restabilize a road and stop further erosion. look at the new video. in the moments leading up to the collapse, a row of cars just sinking away. real time here as a block long portion of the road gives way, officials say residents who live along this block may have to stay out of their homes for up to 40 days as a precaution. this is just unreal, i'm sure, for folks there and this video, bill karins. i can't believe i'm seeing it. it seems very, very slow. >> it is where it happens. we have seen pictures like this in the pacific northwest, it gives way every now and then and in california. in downtown baltimore, it was, you know, houses on one side of the street and cars lined on the other. >> half a foot of rain, a little more, you were telling any 24 hours. >> yeah. >> a lot of rain, but wasn't

huge. we think san diego. what do you think? >> sun, sun, sun. >> how warm? >> i think about 7 to 80. >> that's how they like it. yesterday was the warmest may day ever recorded in san diego. it was 95 degrees yesterday in san diego. that is unprecedented. and we had record highs in seattle, record highs in portland, record highs in l.a., record highs in san diego. other areas like medford were one degree away. temperatures two degrees away from the record high yesterday. off the charts warmth for this time of year. not that cool this morning. temperatures to start this morning, near 60 in seattle. middle of the night in l.a., still 63 degrees. so it is a very warm atmosphere out there. we are going to watch it slowly, the high pressure system responsible for the santa ana winds relax a little bit. on shore flow from the midwest coast to the pacific northwest.

and a chance of rain saturday evening. as far as rainfall totals over the next five days, again, not going to do much in the way of rainfall an the drought stricken strait of california and nevada. but we'll get it in the pacific northwest. another warm day today. not as hot as yesterday or the day before. >> it looks like temperatures are returning to normal. weather pattern returns to normal. we can all just shake our heads and say, wow. >> san diego with 90 degree weather, beautiful, that quitos, go down to the beach, relax. >> doesn't feel too cool at 95. it is good. >> we're in a weekend mood. worrisome news concerning

climate change. plus, a device that could help millions of americans get a better night's sleep. you're watching "early today."

and welcome pack. in a widespread look into our colleges and universities, 55 schools face an investigation into anti-discrimination and sexual assault. the schools, ohio state, arizona state, harvard, and princeton, are among them. the acting president of ukraine is taking dramatic new steps to increase the country's defenses. he's decided to renew the military draft. this after russian president putin told germany's chancellor that ukraine should withdraw its military from the eastern and southern parts of the country. president obama will meet with german chancellor angela merkel later today. alarming news about greenhouse gases on our planet. new tests show the level of caon dioxide in our atmosphere is now at its highest in human history. one scientist told the san

francisco chronicle, it is time to stop building things with tail pipes and smokestacks. here they are. horses and jockeys getting ready for this weekend's kentucky derby. an unpredictable field this year. almost anybody could win in the two-minute race. prerace coverage begins at noon eastern, 9:00 pacific on nbc sports network. don't miss race coverage beginning at 4:00 p.m. eastern, 1:00 pacific, here on nbc. in health news, a problem that keeps millions of americans up all night. now the fda approved a new pacemaker like device to treat sleep apnea. it happens when throat and tongue muscles relax blocking airwaves. the implant keep the air ways open by zapping them with an electrical current while you sleep. between 12 to 18 million americans suffer from this condition, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. "early today" is brought to you by vagisil, the experts in intimate health. down to business with cnbc's bertha coombs. good friday morning. >> good morning, richard.

it was a mixed session for stocks on thursday. investors are awaiting the key jobs report this morning which could show hiring expanded at the fastest pace in five months. forecasts are calling for 215,000 new jobs added to the economy. and unemployment to drop to 6.6%. gm will ask a bankruptcy court today to halt lawsuits over the company's ignition switch recall. the judge is deciding whether gm can be held liable for incidents prior to its 2009 bankruptcy. gm admitted it knew about possible defects as far back as 2001. j. crew is developing a new format aimed at budget conscious shoppers. the wall street journal says the chain will offer merchandise at prices closer to its outlet stores. j. crew scouted locations and signed a few leases. michelle obama likes to wear the j. crew clothes. could get a lot of folks thinking about buying there. >> bertha, thank you very much.

we'll have all your nba and nhl playoff highlights. plus, a minor league rain delay despite clear skies. look at that. .

well, this morning on "today," it is one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. "today" celebrates ten years since "friends" went off the air

with the band behind the show's theme song performing "i'll be there for you." in sports, it is now three do or dies and counting in the nba playoffs. time now, three games each, golden state and los angeles, the clippers got within one point of -- on this three-pointer but ran out of time in the game. golden state wins it 100-99. also going to sudden death, oklahoma city routs memphis. oklahoma city kevin durant nets 36 points on the same day that his hometown paper calls him mr. unreliable. i don't think so. oklahoma survives 104-84, tying the series at three games. indiana, late in the fourth, tied at 85. indiana moves ahead with this jumper. atlanta struggles, hitting only a quarter of their three-pointers in the game. indiana wins 95-88. series at three games a piece. so the nhl playoffs, we take you, montreal at boston. the classic nhl rivalry goes

double overtime. montreal wins the face-off. a beautiful shot in the game. 4-3. also reaching for the stanley cup, new york, pittsburgh, chicago. jailhouse scuffle, an alleged threat gets aaron hernandez in the news again. a new set of charges is what he gets. the former new england patriot is already in custody on a 2013 murder charge. now, add that, assaulting an inmate and threatening a guard. gets the sign. here comes the pitch. strike three. a no hitter. >> that is a voice the public has heard for 74 years. broadcast pioneer bob woolf announced don larsson's perfect game and babe ruth's earliest interviews. there he is in the middle there. he's still working. still working at age 93.

he was honored at yankee stadium by the guinness book of world records. woolf has the longest broadcast career ever. the white house correspondents dinner or nerd prom gets some muscle this year. some of the nfl's best break bread with politicians and hollywood elite tomorrow. so who would you like to sit with there? i would go with richard sherman. interesting conversation. a rain delay in left field. kind of. watch the ball. as he catches it, and he also kicks the sprinkler head. that turns it on into the bull pen, soaking them. the water geyser later finishes in about 18 minutes later. 18 minutes of rain. just ahead, what new movies are hitting the box office this weekend. plus, we're taking a lock at the ring that george clooney gave to his new fiancee. you're watching "early today."

welcome back. as we look at the weekend, things return to more average conditions. we'll see bouts of showers in the northwest. better chance of rain saturday, late in the day into the evening hours. we're dry in california, cool it down. 66 in san francisco. 82 in l.a. crank your ac the last couple of days, that will get a break. we will see the desert heating up as you expect this time of year to make near 100 from phoenix to tucson to vegas. saturday, derby day, of course. looking very nice for the

kentucky derby on nbc. 73 degrees. a big race today too. >> that is perfect weather. >> yeah. you get all dressed up and wear the suits and jackets. i was there one year it was hot and you're in your suit, not fun. but it is perfect. >> not overly muggy. good stuff. thank you, bill. amazing spider-man 2 swinging into theaters this weekend. the superhero flick will likely dance circles around fellow box office newby elizabeth banks comedy walk of shame. spidey expected to pull in just shy of $100 million. nothing to sneeze at. the stars came out in droves to attend the first ever i heart radio music awards. rihanna, big winner, taking home four awards, artist of the year and song the year for "stay." pharrell for his wide range of contributions to music in the past year. surprised "happy" didn't win. boy band fans rejoice.

nick and knight, bill, you'll be going to this, oom sure. they have recorded an album and plan on taking the show on the road later this year. >> thumbs up. >> no. mayor rob ford and pop star justin bieber, they could have done better than that name, they had a tumultuous run in at a nightclub in march when he tried to shake bieber's hand. the problem star asked ford, did you bring any crack to smoke? >> we need video and audio. >> this enraged the mayor. he got mad and had to be escorted to his seat by security. how much about that ring cost george clooney. jewelry estimates say it was a cool 750,000. that's not two months earth of earnings, not at all. should have been like 4 million. i'm richard lui. this is "early today." we hope it is your first stop of the day right here on nbc.

leading the news on nbc news.com, body ink is in, newspaper ink is out. our new nbc news wall street journal poll finds just 47% say they read the newspaper in print at least three times a day, compared with 79% in 1999. when it comes to tattoos, 40% say they have one. that's double the number from '99. what about people that have tattoos that are reading newspapers? in the uk telegraph, michelangelo's david has weak ankles and could collapse. the sculpture has been weakened by earthquakes, traffic vibrations and exposure to the elements. it was also made from poor quality marble evidently. some other stories we're watching. sexual assaults by military member was 50% last year. defense second chuck hagel saying more reports mean victims

have more confidence in the system. hagel ordered new initiatives including an effort to get more victims to come forward. florida is one step closer to medical marijuana. state's house voted in favor 111-7. if florida's senate approves, governor rick scott has indicated he's ready to sign it into law. it would allow doctors to prescribe low thc cannabis to patients. in seattle's mayor has proposed an increase to the city's minimum wage. he with like to bump it up to $15 an hour over the next seven years. if this is approved, it would make seattle's pay baseline the highest in the u.s. lots of folks might be moving there. you have to see this squirrel go nuts over a selfie. some teen on vacation, in florida, able to get a selfie with a little squirrel. now, but then, yeah, go ahead. >> wanted to give him a hug. >> yeah, right. >> then he quickly jumped on the boy's back and went up his

shirt, didn't like the picture. his mom snapping the photos of the harmless squirrel attack which went viral after the family member posted it on reddit. the teen said the squirrel just wanted photo credit. >> i think it is fair. >> he could take a picture and run up and down your shirt. >> yeah. it is a funny shot afterwards at least. a look back on this day in 1994, nelson mandela claimed victory in the first democratic elections in south africa. >> -- for the human spirit, now this is the time to heal the old wounds, and to build anew. and happy birthday to david beckh beckham, 39, dwayne "the rock" johnson, 42, donatella versace, 49. have i great weekend ahead. and thanks for watching "early today." let's face it,

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well, good morning, everyone. 4:30, i'm scott mcgrew. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. let's check that friday forecast with christina. good morning. >> good morning to you, laura, scott, everybody at home. what a welcome site. those cooling clouds have returned to the coast. starting out nice and clear here in san jose this morning. headed towards another warm afternoon and dropping those numbers by about ten degrees by yesterday's highs. temperatures right now mostly in the upper 50s to low 60s and on our way to up thor 80s only in the warmest spots across the bay. the tri-valley in the mid-80s here in the south bay and 83 for the peninsula and then